So I'm almost done reinstalling the 223 back in my truck and just to be on the safe side, I pull the oil filter mounting nipple and the plate off to make sure that the gasket behind the plate is in good shape. I'm not sure why I didn't spot it before, but the plate is cracked around the hole for the nipple. It looks like an old metal fatigue type of fracture. Damn, that can't be good.

So I pull the nipple and plate off of a 292 I have on an engine stand. Damn, the creased rim has a flat spot on it. I'm worried that it won't seal right.

Then I try to get the spin-on adapter off of a 312 sitting on the floor. Damn, it's stuck on there. What next?

I could try to pry the spin-on assembly off of the other 312 but I'm afraid of bending it.

I guess the moral here is to watch out for bad oil filter mounting plates. I'm 0 for 2.